Visible filtering apparatus



' to 2 3,is a sleeve secured to the Patented May 14,

UNITED STATES PATENT.

, VISIBLE surname. APPARATUS 4 James H. Krieck, Roselle Park, N. J. Application August 19, 1938, Serial No. 225,679

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in filtering apparatuses, and is especially intended for filtering oil in connection with lubricating systems of internal combustion engines or the It is the object of the invention to provide a. filter of that kind with means which permit ll visual inspection of the oil being filtered.

Another object is to provide a fluid tight seat between the various filtering elements whereby the unfiltered oil is compelled to pass through the elements.

case of breakage or removal for cleaning ofthe transparent bottom cup through which the condition of the oil can be observed by means of an automatic safety valve.

A further object is to relieve the filtering ap paratus automatically of pressure after the motor of the engine has stopped by syphoning and to break the syphoning automatically as soon as the oil has reached a certain level in the observation cup.

A still further object is to provide a device in'which the principal filtering element can be replaced with the least possible attending spillage of oil.

Other objects will become apparent after a perusal of the following specification and an inspection of the accompanyingdrawing in which a.

' preferred embodiment of the invention is shown.

The drawing illustrates a vertical sectional 40 view of a filtering apparatus made according to the principles of theinvention.

I0 is a substantially cylindricalcasing having a somewhat smaller portion H at its top forming a shoulder l2 therebetween and having a top 45 wall I3. Its open bottom has-a slightly larger portion I4 forming a shoulder IS with the casing wall l0. I8 is an outwardlyextending shoulder having a downwardly projecting flange H.

The top ll of the casing is reinforced at its to center at and is threaded to adjustably receivean inlet tube l9 projecting outwardly of the casing and being equipped with a coupling.

20 to receive an oil tube 2|.

top wall ll of Still another object is to prevent loss of oil in bowl at an angle at 60. BI is a resilient gasket the casing preferably near its periphery,

. a small outlet opening 24 in its center and an outlet tube 25 in communication therewith.

Slidingly disposed within the walls ll of the casing I0 is a disc filter having vertical walls 26, 5

. a perforated top 21, and a lower outwardly extending flange 28 substantially of the same size as shoulder l2 of the casing. 29 are circular sheets of wire netting holding between them a circular sheet 30 of pure virgin wool. A perfo- 10 rated disc -3l with downwardly projecting flanges 32 presses the sheets 29 and 30 tightly against the perforated top 21 and confines them within the walls 26, thus forming with them a disc filter unit which is slidingly fitted over the inlet tube 15 l9 and within the walls ll of the casing. 33 is a resilient gasket between the shoulder l2 and the flange 28. j

. The principal filter element consists of a bagv of preferably double layers 34 or a suitable cotton "go fabric or the like closely fitting the inside of the casing Ill. The open bottom of the bag is looped at to receive and hold a. split ring 35, the

ly extendingfiange 40 resting against the looped, 35

[ring containing, portion 35 of the bag.

41 is a compression spring withinthe bag, loosely wound around thetube I8 and resting against the washer 38 with its one endland against the distributor disc 39 with its other end.

Screwed onto the bottom end 22 of inletftube I9 is a valve casing '42 having a tapered valve seat 43 in its center, a central bore and ducts 45 across it. Loosely guided within the bore 44 is a stem 46 ,of a valve having a head 41, the

bottom of which'is adaptedto fit fiuld tightly the seat. 4 8- is a transparent bowl having a thickened top portion 48 which joins the curved wall of the betweenthe portion '0! the bowl and shoulder ll of the casing Ill. 52 is asplit clamp ring of substantially U-shap'e having a slightly downlwa'rdly curved bottom leg 53. The clamp is adapted to be tightened upon the casing and bowl by means of a screw ,54, as is well-known in I the art, so as to engage with its leg 53 the inclined surface 50 of the bowl and thus draw the same tightly against the gasket ii and the shoulder l6 of the casing making afiuid tight joint therewith. v

The operation of the device is as follows: Oil is admitted under pressure through inlet tube l9, past the head 41 of .the safety valve through ports ,45 and the clearance between stem 46 and bore 44 into the bowl 48 filling the \The oil is then forced through the perforations in the distributor disc 39 throughthe filter element 31 in the bag 34, thence through the top of the bag into and through the disc filter bottom 3|, sheets of wire netting 29 with the wool-disc 30 between them, and top 21 into the upper part I! of the casing, thence through the restricted outlet 24- into the outlet tube'25.

Thus there are three distinct stages of filtering, namely first the helically wound layers of cellulose, then the double thickness of the filter bag itself, and finally the sheet of virgin wool in. the disc filter. v

Where more than one stage of filtering is employed in a device of this kind, it is paramount that the'joints between the various elements of each stage be fluid tight in order to avoid bypassing any of the stages. I accomplish tight joints between the vaitlous filters in a very simple and emcient manner. The casing 42 of the. automatic safety valve is adjustably secured to the bottom of the inlet tube I9. When screwed upwardly-against the disc 39, it forces the downwardly extending flange of the disc against the looped ring containing portion 35 of the bag which in turn is closely pressed against surfaces l4 and I5 making a fluid tight joint therewith.

The central spring 4| within the bag filter at the same time is compressed by the action of the disc 39 against its bottom'and transmits a corresponding pressure against the washer 38 at the inside top of the bag. This forces the top of.

the bag against the bottom 3| of the disc filter, and simultaneously the flange 28 against the resilient gasket 33, thus efiecting a tight joint between the top of the bag fllterand the disc filter at the top of the casing, by means of screwing the casing 42 of the bottom safety valve upwardly upon the inlet tube l9.

The outlet 24 is of a size much smaller than theinlet. This causes a slight back pressure to build up at the outlet end of the filter resulting in a partial balancing of the pressure at the inlet and outlet ends of the filterelements and a slowing up of the velocity of the liquid. This helps to maintain a fairly uniform pressure at the outlet end and prevents a too rapid discharge therefrom with a corresponding drop in oil pressure.

Normally with the glass bowl 48 in place as shown in the drawing, the stem 46 rests upon the inside bottom of the bowl and keeps the head 4! of the safety valve away from its seat 431 Should the glass bowl be broken or should it be necessary to remove it, the head 41 of the valve will be immediately seated and prevent any escape of oil through the bottom of the device so that, in case of a motor engine for instance, the engine may continue to function without fear ofexcessive loss of oil.

The bowl, being made of glass, enables one to ascertain at a glance the color of the oil and whether clean or dirty. Because the dirt accumulates in the bowl, the bowl can readily be removed from the device for cleaning purposes and with the least amount of waste of oil.

Attention is drawn to the fact that the bottom outlet of the inlet tube projects into the bowl 48 considerably below its top. When the motor to which the device is connected is stopped, a sye phoning efiect is established and oil is drawn backwardly through the inlet tube I9 and the pump to the crankcase. This syphoning-continues until the level of the oil drops to that of the ports when the syphoning is broken. When syphoning has stopped, pressure is relieved within the device and the oil settles in the bowl. Should water be present it will then become immediately noticeable. Because the bowl is only partially filled then, no oil will be slopped over its sides when disconnecting it from the casing Ill, making replacing of filter bags an especially easy matter. While in the drawing, transverse ports 45 are shown in the bore 44, thebottom of the casing 42 may. obviously be in a plane where the ports 45 are now located and the ports eliminated entirely.

It is obvious that various changes of form, proportion and minor details may be resorted to and the construction modified to suit many other purposes without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

" What I claim as new, is:

1. In an apparatus of the kinddescribed, a casing, a transparent bowl removably secured to the bottom of the casing, an inlet tube at the top of the casing extending downwardly into the said bowl, filter elements around the said tube and confined within walls of the said casing, the casing having an outlet at its top above. the said elements, a valve housing'at the bottom of the said inlet tube adapted to hold the said filter elements, tube and casing tightly together, and a valve within the housing having a stem resting normally upon the bottom of the said bowl to keep the said valve open, the valve being adapted to close the said inlet tube automatically upon removal of the said bowl.

2. In an apparatus of the kind described, a casing, a transparent bowl removably secured to the bottom of the casing, an inlet tube at the top of the casing extending downwardly into the said bowl, a bag filter, a disc filter and a diswithin walls of the said casing, the casing having a restricted outlet at its top above the said filters, a valve housing adjustably secured to the bottom of the said inlet tube adaptedto hold the said filters and disc tightly .against each other and the tube and easing, and'a valve with! in the housing having a stem resting normally upon the bottom of the said bowl to'keep the said valve open, the valve being adapted to close the said inlet tube automatically upon removal of the said bowl. 3. In a device of the kind described, a casing, a removable transparent bowl clamped to its bottom, an inlet tube at the top of the casing extending downwardly intothe said bowl, a bag filter and a disc filter around the said tube and confined within walls of the said casing, a helical spring around the said tube and within the said bag filter, a distributor disc at the bottom of the said bag filter, means at the bottom of the said inlet tube to force the said distributor disc against edges of the filter bag to hold them tightly against the walls of the casing and the said spring against the top of the bag'to push the said bag said disc filter and the said disc illtertightly llainst the said walls, the said having anoutlet at its top above the said filters; and a valve at .the bottom of the said inlet tube having a stem resting normally upon the said bowl to keep the said valve open, the said valve being adapted to close the inlet tube automatically upon removal of the said bowl.

' :4. In a device oi'the kind described, a casing having abutments within its walls ,near its top and its bottom, a removable transparent'bowl clamped to its-bottom, an inlet tube at the top said abutment near the bottom or the casing, a

filter imit within the bag, a' distributor-disc at the bottom of the bag, a helical spring around asool'ns the said tube and within the' said bag, a disc having flanges engaging the said abutment near the top of the said casing, the casing having an outlet above the said disc filter, means at the bottom 01' the inlet tube to force the distributor disc against the edges of the filter, bag and the spring againstthe top of the bag and the said top of the bag against the disc filter for the purpose of holding the said filter bag and the disc filter tightly against each other and against the walls of the casing, and a valve at the bottom of the said inlet tube having astem resting normally upon the said bowl to keep the said valve open, the saidvalve being adapted to close the inlet tube automatically upon removal of the 7 said bowl.

JAMES H. m;

' iilter at the top of the bag around the said tube 

